


The Rise of Doctor Atom

by AXEe



Series: Doctor Atom [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Aliens, Alternate History, F/M, Gen, Part of my "Ultrawoman" verse, Superheroes/Superpowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-03-21 03:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13732257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: 1945, Japan.   The United States has just dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, killing thousands and wounding scores more in a wave of a nuclear fire.  One those to survive the blast was a young Japanese-American woman named 'Alana Aoki'.   Visiting an ailing aunt, the young aspiring medical student became trapped in Japan once the war broke out, and had the misfortune to be in Hiroshima on the same day that U.S. B-29 bomber theEnola Gaydropped the bomb.Scarred on over eighty percent on her body, she lay in a U.S. Army hospital in a coma, hovering between life and death.  When she awakens, she will go on to become one our greatest heroes, second only to Ultrawoman...





	1. Prolouge: The Burning Times

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! OK, I know that part two of Ultrawoman is nowhere near finished yet, but I had this idea of doing a spinoff that would not let me go, so here we are, I give you the first installment of a wider shared universe. Enjoy :=)

******

**Hiroshima, Japan  
1945…**

Fire.

Smoke.

Pain.

Those three worlds currently encompassed the world of twenty year old Alana Aoki. She could feel herself moving, being carried, but she was too tired, in too much pain to react. Her lungs struggled to breathe, her skin blistered and burned all over, the smell of burning permeated her nostrils—a sharp, cloying _stench_ that enveloped her.

Dimly she was aware of voices, of hands touching her, fingers probing at her face and head, sending agonizing flares of pain across her burned skin, but she couldn’t react, couldn’t cry out. Then the hands vanished and she felt a presence in her mind, a gentle, soothing song which eased the pain, the burning, leaving only a feeling of lightness

_**Sleep, Alana**_ the song urged.

Obeying, Alana slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep…

******

J’or’Da’an of Armus—better known to the people of Earth as ‘Ultrawoman’—gently removed her hands from the young woman’s head, ending the brief link she’d established with her mind

“Ma’am?”

Looking up, J’or’Da’an smiled at the young Army corpsman standing there, looking uncertain

“She’ll sleep now, free of pain” she explained

The corpsman nodded, clearly not quite believing her, but unwilling to argue with the Martian as straightened up, her crimson cape rustling as the lights glinted of her iridescent blue armor

“What do I tell my superiors, ma’am?” he asked

J'or'Da'an smirked

“Tell them her name is ‘Alana Aoki’ and she was born in Port Havenrock, Washington, United States,” she explained “you may also tell them that I want to speak to President Truman about his new weapon. Now”

The corpsman nodded nervously, quickly escorting the alien out of the room. Leaving Alana to her sleep.

She would sleep for days, for weeks. By the time she would wake, ten years would have passed and Alana Aoki would no longer be strictly human, she would instead be the first of a new generation.

The first of the Tomorrow People...


	2. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two! Enjoy folks! :=)

******

**Port Havenrock, Washington  
1955…**

Port Havenrock, Washington was less than a mile away from Blue Harbor, on the southern end of the crescent-shaped bay that Blue Harbor sat on. Despite that, it might as well have been a world away.

Unlike its more famous neighbor to the northeast, Port Havenrock had no alien warrior as a resident, in fact the city was something of a mill town, surviving on—at first a lucrative shipbuilding industry during both wars—and at present a burgeoning automotive industry through the rapidly-expanding company of Keystone Motors, which was quickly becoming the largest employer in the entire city.

Port Havenrock’s one unique claim to fame was its hospital. Our Lady of Grace Hospital had some of the most advanced facilities in the nation, and the staff sometimes joked amongst themselves that many of the people who came to Port Havenrock never actually got to see the city as they were patients at the hospital.

One of the hospital’s specialized facilities was a state-of-the-art burn ward. Burn victims from around the country would invariably end up there for treatment at some point. One patient in particular was the source of much rumor and speculation among the nurses.

Listed only as ‘Alana Aoki’ she had been transferred to the hospital from a hospital in Hawaii at some point in 1945, suffering from severe second- and third-degree burns on over eighty percent of her body. Under heavy sedation upon arrival (although strangely she showed none of the usual signs of sedation), her treatment was regularly paid for by a mysterious individual who wished to remain anonymous, but with explicit orders that she be placed in a private room and _not_ be woken from her sedation.

While most of the staff simply ignored these odd circumstances and instead focused on treating the patient, that didn’t stop the rumor mill from going full tilt. Some suggested that the mysterious woman was maybe related to someone in the government, others even suggested that perhaps she was descended from Asian royalty.

Whoever the mystery woman was, the fact remained that her treatment had gone as far as possible. The damaged tissue had been repaired to the best of the doctors’ ability. Now, all that remained was waiting for a response from her benefactor giving the staff the OK to wake her from the sedation.

On this particular evening, as the night nurses did their final rounds, the heart monitor for Alana Aoki twitched, her heart rate increased ever so slightly. One such nurse who was making her rounds took note of it but did little else as she left to check on the other patients in the ward.

Five minutes later, Alana’s right hand—the last two fingers of which had been fused together by the scarring—began twitching. Four seconds after that an orange glow began pulsing under the skin of her hand and arm, rapidly traveling up to her shoulder and spreading to her chest. Once the strange glow had reached her chest, her heart rate began galloping, speeding up to a level similar to that of a person under heavy stress.

Suddenly animated, Alana’s back arched, body bowing up until only her head and heels were touching the bed, as she opened her mouth and gasped, sucking in a painful-sounding breath of air, her eyes flying open as the bed sheets suddenly burst into flames, the fire rapidly spreading to the rest of the room.

Disorientated, Alana sat up with a shout, coughing and gagging for breath. Instinct and adrenaline took over and she managed to stagger off the bed, rolling onto the floor and half crawling half running towards the door, staggering out into the hall as the ward’s staff shouted and yelled for the fire department.

Head spinning, strange images flashing by her mind’s eye, Alana continued forwards, rapidly staggering down a flight of stairs and out into the night while smoke began rapidly billowing out of the windows behind her, fire trucks arriving moments later.

Standing in a phone booth opposite the hospital a woman watched the scene with an air of mild interest. Picking up the phone, she inserted the requisite nickel and dialed a number

“ _Jordan Ellis_ ” a woman's voice answered

“She’s awake” the woman stated simply

“ _Where is she now?_ ”

“Just saw her staggering down the street”

“ _Go after her, keep her calm. And_ be careful _we still don’t know what happened to her_ ”

“Got it”

******

Fire. Fire. Fire.

That word ran through Alana’s mind like a mantra as she stumbled and staggered down a side alleyway. Had to get away, had to keep from getting burned

“Alana!”

She stopped at the voice, leaving against a wall, panting for breath

“Alana Aoki!” the voice continued. It was woman’s voice, and oddly, had an American accent. Why would an American woman be in Hiroshima? Was she a POW of the Japanese? But if so, how would she know who Alana was?

Deciding to risk it, Alana slowly turned around. The woman was young, probably no older than nineteen, if that. She was small, petite, with thick dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. Dressed in a neat and plain brown dress, she looked like a librarian Alana knew back home in Port Havenrock

“My name is ‘Kate Ellis’,” the woman introduced herself as she approached “and I need you to come with me”

“Why? What for?” Alana demanded “who are you? How did you get into Japan any…” she trailed off as she took note of the cityscape around her, involuntarily taking a step forward “Port Havenrock” she breathed as she recognized it. But…it looked different, buildings that she didn’t recognize now stood among the familiar ones from her childhood

“Miss. Aoki”

She turned back to the woman

“Who are you?” she asked “how do you know my name? What do you…?” she stopped, looking down at her hands, staring at the scarring that spider-webbed along her skin. Shaking, she reached to her face, feeling more scarring, on her neck, her chin, her cheeks, her nose, even her scalp, she couldn’t feel hair anymore, just more scar tissue “what happened to me?” she whispered

“Alana,” the mysterious ‘Kate Ellis’ approached her, taking her scarred hands without fear “I promise you, I will explain everything as best as I can _but_ we _need_ to go. _Now_ ”

Still shaking, Alana nodded…


	3. Brave New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter THREE! Folks! Enjoy! :=)

******

Alana must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew she was waking up on a sofa. A tinkling sound drew her attention, and looking to her side, she saw a hand stirring a spoon in a glass of water, some kind of white powder rapidly dissolving into the glass

“Here,” a voice said “it’s just sugar and water, but it’ll get your strength back up,”

Taking the offered glass, Alana drank, suddenly realizing how thirsty she was as she finished the glass in seconds. Setting it down on the floor, she slowly sat up, frowning at her clothes. A pair of pants along with a plain white t-shirt

“Sorry about the clothes, but they’re all I had with me,”

Looking up at the voice, Alana found the mysterious ‘Kate Ellis’ sitting there in an armchair

“How are you feeling?” she asked

Alana frowned, considering the question

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. She looked around the room, finding that she was in what looked like a house or large apartment “where are we?” she asked

“Blue Harbor,” Kate answered. She sighed and looked down at the heavy book in her lap “what I’m about to tell you may seem far-fetched, ludicrous even, but I assure you that it’s very real” she warned

Alana nodded slowly

“All right…” she said slowly as Kate stood up and sat down next to her, opening the book

“First of all,” she began “the war’s over, it has been for a long time,” she turned the page, revealing what looked like a newspaper clipping from the front page of the _Port Havenrock Herald_. The headline read ‘JAPAN SURRENDERS! THE WAR IS OVER’.

Kate turned the page back, revealing another newspaper clipping, this one from the front page of the _Blue Harbor Tribune_. This time the headline was stranger, reading ‘MYSTERIOUS ‘FLYING WOMAN’ SEEN AT PEARL HARBOR ‘NOT A HOAX’ SAYS ARMY OFFICALS’ the picture showed a grainy, slightly out of focus image of the sky, with a small human figure in what looked like a long cape streaking across the sky, with the caption _‘First photographic proof that the ‘Ultra woman’ exists’_

“On December 7th 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,” Kate began “but, during the attack, a woman appeared. She was able to drive off most of the attacking forces single-handedly,” she turned the page, revealing another newspaper clipping from the _Blue Harbor Tribune_ again. This time the headline read _‘White House issues stunning statement ‘We are not alone in the universe’ says FDR’_ , while a final headline exclaimed _‘Real life Martian found living amongst us for nearly two years. Who is she? What does she want? Are there others?_ ’

“The woman was the last survivor of the planet Mars,” Kate continued softly “gifted with incredible powers, including superhuman strength, speed, and even the ability to fly. The government and press called her ‘Ultrawoman’. With her help, we took the war to the Nazis. I won’t lie to you, what followed was one of the worst wars in recent memory, thousands were killed on both sides, and what the Germans did to the Jews…,” she trailed off, looking haunted “there’s a special place in hell for people like that,” she muttered. Shaking herself of, she continued “in 1945, the Allies—consisting of the U.S., the USSR, France, and Britain—stormed Berlin; Ultrawoman personally captured Adolf Hitler and delivered him to the League of Nations to stand trial for his crimes. Germany was disarmed and then divided between the four Allied powers—the U.S., Russia, France, and the UK, and a peace treaty was signed”

“So…the war ended” Alana reasoned

Kate shook her head

“The war in _Europe_ ended, but not in the Pacific. In the Pacific, the Japanese and the U.S. fought tooth and nail for every scrap of land, every tiny spit of rock. Iwo Jima, Midway,” she shook her head “hundreds of men died for a few feet of land. Finally, the U.S. found a way to end the war; a bomb. One unlike any other, one that could destroy an entire city. They made two of them; the first one was dropped on Hiroshima. The second, on Nagasaki,”

Alana frowned and looked down at her scarred hands

“Yes,” Kate nodded “you’re a survivor of that first bomb” she proclaimed softly

“I remember…fire,” Alana recalled “people screaming,” she shook her head “but how could _one_ bomb destroy an entire city?” she demanded

Kate sighed

“It can, if it breaks the laws of physics as we understand it,” she shook her head “I don’t understand the mechanics myself, but basically the bomb works by splitting the atom, and when you split an atom, massive amounts of energy are released. Enough to level an entire city”

Alana gulped

“Please tell me that there aren’t anymore” she pleaded quietly

“I wish I could,” Kate sighed “I wish I could. The U.S. built more of them, dozens more. Now the Russians have them too, and we’re locked in what some are calling a ‘cold war’, the Russians try to spy on us and get our secrets and then we try to do the same to them, and the entire world’s caught in the middle of this game of one-upmanship”

Alana shook her head

“Jesus,” she swore “so, what happened to this…woman, this ‘Ultrawoman’ character?” she wondered

“She’s still around,” Kate nodded “trying to help out where she can,” she returned to the book in her hands “and that’s where the story gets interesting. See, she was inspiration to others; people began copying her, by putting a costume and fighting crime. We call them ‘aces’ or ‘costumed vigilantes’ if you want to be specific”

“And me?” Alana asked “how do I fit into all of this?”

Kate sighed

“You’re the first of a new generation,” she proclaimed “that blast should have done far worse that just scar you. In fact, it should have killed you instantly. But not only did you survive, you… _changed_ ” she explained “I spoke with Ultrawoman after Hiroshima. Martian medicine was decades ahead of ours, and according to her, the blast mutated you, gave you incredible fantastic powers”

Alana snorted derisively

“This is crazy,” she spat “ _you’re_ crazy, lady. Aliens? Superpowers? It sounds like something out of the comic books my kid brother used to read”

Kate nodded slowly

“You’re right, it does,” she said softly “but its all _real_. The war wasn’t just the end of the peace, it was also the beginning. The beginning of a brave new world. A world of…aliens, and gods, and monsters,” she held out her hand “give me your hand,” she requested

Rolling her eyes, Alana held out her hand, watching as Kate withdrew a lighter from her pocket and opened, the small flame bursting into life. Still holding Alana’s hand tightly, she turned Alana’s hand so that her palm was facing down and then waved the flame under Alana’s palm before closing the lighter and then turning Alana’s hand palm up.

Alana stared at the small flame now nestled in her palm, seemingly emanating _from_ her palm. Mesmerized, she flexed her hand, finding that by opening and closing her palm increased or decreased the intensity of the flame. Opening her hand as wide as possible and flicking her wrist resulted in the flame suddenly enveloping her entire hand.

Gasping, she staggered back, realizing seconds later that she wasn’t burning as the flame quickly died down. Still panting for breath she looked up at Kate, who nodded somewhat sadly at her

“Ultrawoman’s found records of a few more people like you,” she began “but most of those were rumor or myth. You’re the first real case we’ve found, the first of the Tomorrow People”

“So…now what?” Alana panted out

Kate Ellis smiled 

“Now, you go and save the world” she proclaimed

Groaning, Alana dropped her face into her hands, shivering as she felt the scar tissue again. Nervously, she looked up at Kate

“Do you have a mirror?” she asked quietly…

******

The scarring was extensive to say the least.

Alana looked in the person in the mirror in Kate’s bathroom, suddenly recalling how her mother had once spoken about her daughter’s hair, about how long and full it was, about how it framed Alana’s face so nicely.

Alana had no hair now she realized as she ran a hand across her bald and scarred head. In fact, she doubted even her own mother would recognize her now.

Her right ear seemed to have been burned off, leaving only the small hole of the ear canal, which explained why everything sounded like it was underwater in that ear. While the right side of her face seemed to ‘droop’ somewhat from the scarring, her lips on that side twisting down into a slight frown, while her right eye looked as if it was constantly weeping from the way the skin of her eyelid was deformed, her eyes themselves, however, seemed unaffected, her vision remaining the same.

The rest of her body wasn’t much better.

Her breasts, while lined with scar tissue, seemed to be otherwise intact. Her abdomen was covered in scars obscuring her navel and spider-webbing down her legs. Her right hip had a large lump of scar tissue, giving her a slight, but noticeable, limp. The last two fingers of her right hand, while retaining most of their mobility, had been fused together by the scarring, the skin looking as if it had latterly melted together.

Her legs featured the same amount of scarring as her arms, while her feet were possibly the one place on her body to be unaffected by the scarring. She couldn’t see her back, but she could feel the scarring there and could only imagine what it looked like.

Turning away from the…the _creature_ in the mirror, she turned to the nightdress Kate had laid for her and quietly slipped it on, examining her new reflection, suddenly feeling an odd sense of pride well up inside her

 _‘I survived,’_ she told herself _‘I lived’_

Now somewhat comforted by that thought, she slipped out of the bathroom…

******

Meanwhile, at that very same moment, in a dark, dingy, and rat and cockroach-infested room, a man sat listening to a radio, idly adjusting the knobs as the signal cut out

“ _In Blue Harbor today, the alien hero, Ultrawoman, saved a family of five from a tenement fire,_ ” the radio announced “ _this caps off a record week for Mother Mars as she had previous stopped a flood at the marina and saved several people from a pile up on the interstate_ ”

Growling in clear annoyance, the man lunged for a silver, gauntlet-like device sitting on an empty crate, aiming it at the radio, a bolt of lightening shooting from the gauntlet to obliterate the device in seconds...


	4. Learning Curve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Enjoy :=)

******

**Three months later…**

Alana took a breath as she floated a foot above the ground, her body wreathed in flames. Three months had passed since she’d awoken in this new age, and in those three months she had been learning about her new abilities.

She found that she could generate fire from anywhere on her body, in varying intensity, from a tiny flame on her fingertip, perfect for lighting a cigarette, to a massive fireball capable of punching through steel plating.

As a result she also found that she was immune to burns now, both from her own flame as well as from others, indeed she had discovered that she was immune to heat in general. Her scar tissue had also changed, becoming more prominent over time in some areas of her body—such as her face, resulting in the skin on the scarred right half of her face developing more keloid scarring—and less in others—such as her the left side of her face and head.

In fact, the scarring on the left side of her scalp had cleared to the point that her hair on the left side of her scalp had begun to grow back, but not on the right, giving her a strange ‘two-faced’ appearance, almost like the Phantom of the Opera.

Additionally, the scarring—most prominently on her arms and upper chest—now seemed to constantly ‘glow’ with a faint orange light, which intensified whenever she used her powers.

Despite Kate’s offers, Alana had refused a wig or makeup to conceal the scarring, instead baring it as a badge of honor, silently declaring to the world that she’d survived, walking outside of doors unafraid and unfeeling to the open-mouthed stares of people as she passed by, eschewing the dresses and jewelry worn by most women and instead dressed comfortably in a pair of blue jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket. She looked like a greaser she knew, but she was, ironically, more comfortable in her own skin now then she had ever been before.

She also found, that in addition to generating fire from her body, she could also shape the flames into a variety of forms, as long as the flame remained physically linked to her body (usually by a long tendril of fire), she could form a variety of two- and three-dimensional shapes, from spheres to cubes, to even crude letters and words.

She also found that she could somehow ‘hold’ objects with her flame without burning them, even holding an object suspended in the air by a long tendril of flame. By extension, she found she could generate the flame around her clothes without burning them completely off

She even discovered that her flame allowed her to float and possibly even fly.

Currently, she couldn’t float more than a foot or two off the ground, but she was getting stronger. According to Kate, speaking for the mysterious ‘Ultrawoman’, Alana’s powers were getting stronger every day. Alana still had yet to meet the mysterious alien warrior, but Alana got the impression that she and Kate were close somehow, friends even.

Concentrating, Alana held out a hand, a shimmering tendril of fire lashing out from her palm to encircle the small tree below her. Taking a breath, she concentrated on gently bending the sapling from side to side without burning it, feeling a headache sprout between her eyes as she did.

Panting with the exertion of the effort, she suddenly dropped to the ground, her flame extinguishing.

Doubling over and gasping for breath, Alana examined the sapling, finding that it was fully intact and unburned, not even slightly singed, the leaves still shone bright green in the dim sunlight

“Wizard” she grinned…

******

Meanwhile, at that same moment, in Port Havenrock’s financial district, an old, beat up Studebaker sputtered and slowly chugged its way down the street, ratting and coughing as it did before finally dying as it attempted to turn the corner.

Angrily pounding on the steering wheel, the driver—a tall, heavy-set, man dressed in a worn, weather-beaten trench coat—climbed out of the car and began to calmly walk down the path that the car had been attempting to navigate

“Hey!” a police officer waved to the man “hey, buddy! You can’t leave this here!”

Ignoring him, the man continued on towards the city’s ‘First Federal Bank and Loan’. Entering the bank, he calmly brushed past several people in line

“Hey!”

“Wait your turn!”

“Well, I never!”

“Uh, yes?” the teller nervously asked as the man approached the counter. The man’s face was that of a boxer’s and/or a heavy drinker: rough, lined, bearing the clear signs of having had his nose broken several times and allowed to heal without proper medical attention

“I want to make a withdrawal” he rumbled out, his voice deep and menacing

“Oh,” the teller breathed an audible sigh of relief “how much?”

The man smirked

“All of it”

“Oh,” the teller blinked “all right then,” he withdrew the standard form from under the counter “I just need your signature and account number”

The man’s smirk widened

“Sure” he chuckled. There was a sudden crackle and the sharp smell of ozone as he shrugged off the trench coat, revealing some kind of bulky harness wrapped around his torso as he threw out his arms, two large cables unfurling from each wrist, their surfaces crackling with electricity.

Grunting the man grabbed one cable in each gloved hand and swung them down on the counter, both of them cutting through the faux marble, wood, and the unfortunate teller’s body with ease.

Ignoring the terrified screams of the panicking crowd of customers, the man easily hopped over the demolished counter with ease and marched towards the back of building towards the vault

“Stop right there!”

Two security guards, armed with only batons, charged for him. Shrugging one arm, the man flicked one cable towards them, the high voltage electrocuting them both, flinging them across the room to the hit the far wall.

Approaching the bank, the man began twirling the cables, using them as a set of improvised saws to cut through the steel door with ease, the powerful current both cutting and melting the metal at the same time, quickly making a hole large enough for the man to squeeze through.

Smirking as he assessed the bags of cash, the man began loading it into a built in backpack-like structure on the harness around his torso. Exiting the bank, he took note of the alarms ringing shrilly and, upon stepping through the doors, electrocuted two police officers who rushed him.

He turned and began calmly marching down the street, quickly stealing a car by throwing its driver out of the way. Loading the car with his stolen goods, he began to drive off, glancing skyward every few seconds

“Come on, Martian,” he growled “where are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Although the popular image of the Phantom of Opera from the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber has the Phantom only using a half mask to cover only part of his face, in the original novel, the Phantom's whole face is disfigured and is said to resemble a skull, Webber used the half mask in the musical when it was realized that Phantom couldn't properly show facial expressions on stage if he's entire face was covered


	5. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Yes, "The Rise of Doctor Atom" is finally being updated! Please enjoy and let me know what you thought :=)

******

**Port Havenrock Chinatown**

The small corner drugstore had been there for as long as anyone could remember, for as long as Pike Street had been there. Following the California gold rush of 1849, many of the Chinese migrant workers had settled around the Pacific Northwest.

Those who settled in Port Havenrock settled in and around Pike Street in the middle of the city. Always a low-income neighborhood home to various blue collar residents, Pike Street quickly became the center of the city’s Chinatown, which quickly became home to people from all over Asia, not just the Chinese, most especially the Japanese. In fact, Port Havenrock’s Chinatown was actually home to more people of Japanese descent than any other ethnic group in Asia.

In time, the neighborhood grew and expanded, various family-owned businesses—laundries, green grocers, restaurants and various sundry shops—began to pop up, making the neighborhood surprisingly wealthy if still blue collar.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed all of that though.

In the wake of the attack, as the world reeled from the revelation that a living Martian walked among us, the U.S. federal government began to ‘resettle’ any ethnic Japanese living on the West Coast, and Port Havenrock’s Chinatown became _persona non grata_ , a place that was never spoken of and avoided at all possible, and if a white resident was forced to travel through the neighborhood for whatever reason, they’d keep their head low and avoid eye contact with the ‘Japs’.

Alana Aoki had been born in Port Havenrock’s Chinatown, just half a block from the corner store.

As a child, she would take her little brother Joseph there to pick up groceries and, if he’d been good, she’d buy him a comic book or some chewing gum with her pocket change. In 1941, while she’d been trapped in Japan after the war broke out, her brother, mother, and father had all been part of those who’d been ‘resettled’ by the government, forced out of their home, her father’s flower shop and other assets were seized by the FBI as the entire family was moved to a ‘assembly center’ in the Nevada desert.

Her brother, however, had gotten lucky in a way In 1943, the government created the ‘442nd Infantry Regiment’, an Army unit composed of Japanese-American enlisted men and Caucasian officers, a unit that would go on to fight with remarkable distinction in Italy and Germany, and immortalized in the 1951 film _Go for Broke!_ (named as such after the unit’s motto).

Joseph Aoki, then only just turned eighteen, had been one of those enlisted men, only to be later declared missing in action during a firefight in Germany, presumed dead. Alana’s father died soon after the Allies took Berlin and Ultrawoman took Adolf Hitler to the World Court, from a broken heart everyone had said, most especially once word got out of the devastating bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the bombs that had most likely killed his only daughter Alana as well.

The only relative that Alana had left was her mother, whom she hadn’t seen since she’d boarded the ship which took her to Japan ten years ago. Alana hadn’t even called her mother since waking up three months ago, as far as Eleanor Aoki knew both her children were dead.

A little digging by Kate revealed that the widowed Eleanor Aoki was now working at the corner drugstore as a cashier, as her husband’s debts had pilled up during the war and his death benefits were nowhere near enough to pay them off.

Taking a breath, Alana stopped outside the store. They’d repainted; she noted absently, the storefront used to be blue, now it was dark green. Realizing that she couldn’t hold it off forever, Alana pushed the door open, the small bell above the door tinkling merrily as she stepped inside.

Ignoring the quiet gasps of shock and fear from the other patrons at her scarred appearance, she marched determinedly up to the counter, ringing the bell with far more purpose and confidence than she felt.

The woman behind the counter turned, jerking back in surprise as she saw Alana, but not from recognition Alana knew, from shock and revulsion. Her scarred visage was still shocking to many and despite her self-proclaimed confidence about her appearance; Alana knew that to some she would always be something terrifying to look at. The fact that she only had hair on the right side of her head and not on the left only served to make the scarring more obvious, the hair follicles on the right side of her scalp having been permanently damaged by the burns, resulting in—at most—a very fine peach fuzz growing there, while the hair on the left side of her head hadn’t grown past her chin, and probably never would.

In addition, the skin on the right half of her face—although otherwise blemish free—looked like melted wax, drooping down significantly in comparison to the right side, her lips twisted down in a perpetual frown and her right eye looked as if she was weeping, the skin itself having a shiny, waxy-like texture and appearance, while her right ear was completely gone, only the tiny hole of the ear canal remained, the rest having been utterly burned off, whatever flesh that had remained having been removed by the doctors during her coma to ensure that she would retain full hearing. She knew according to Kate that aces were often given colorful monikers by the press and wouldn’t at all be surprised if she became known as ‘phantom of the opera’ for her scarred face.

Trying for her best smile, she cleared her throat, feeling her twisted lip pull uncomfortably as she tried to keep her smile from seeming too insincere.

“Uh. Hi” she tried

“Um, hello,” Eleanor Aoki coughed out “I’m sorry, your…you startled me,” she took a nervous breath, running a shaky hand through hair that was far more grey than Alana could ever recall seeing it “uh, how can I help you?” she asked

Alana felt her smile falter, but doubted that anyone could see it

“You don’t…recognize me…do you?” she asked “no. Of course you don’t,” she realized “it’s me, Mom,” she laughed “it’s Alana”

The elder woman stared at her, her face hard

“My daughter is dead” she proclaimed

“No,” Alana shook her head “no, I survived, Mom, I survived,” she reached out, her scarred hands desperately curling around Eleanor’s own, the last two fingers on Alana’s right hand—permanently fused together—clinging tightly to her mother’s own “Mom…it’s _me_ ,” she pleaded “just look at me. Please?”

The elder woman looked at her, studied her, her eyes growing wide in shock and horror as she recognized her daughter beneath the scarring

“ _Alana?_ ” she breathed “my…god…,” she reached out as if to touch her daughter’s face and then pulled back “wha…what happened to you?” she wondered

“Hiroshima, Mom,” Alana answered quietly “Hiroshima happened…”

******

The dinner was just across the street from the grocery, the hubbub inside suddenly coming to a halt as Alana and her mother walked in, before starting up again in a series of hushed and frantic whispers among the patrons

“ _Did see her face?_ ”

“ _…awful. Just awful…._ ”

“ _…wonder what happened to her…_ ”

“ _…some nerve she’s got, showing that ugliness out in public…_ ”

Alana turned to her mother

“Just ignore ‘em. I do,” she encouraged as she led her mother to the counter and sat down, Eleanor joining her somewhat cautiously. After a clear moment of hesitation, a waitress came over and, with trembling hands, served them both coffee, most of the liquid ending up in a puddle under the cups on the counter

“Thanks” Alana muttered, absently mopping up the spill with a napkin

“May…maybe we should go somewhere else,” Eleanor suggested, looking around worriedly “somewhere…quieter”

“Its fine, Mom,” Alana dismissed “you ignore them, they ignore you,” she explained “besides,” she chuckled as she turned to look at her mother “I’m not _that_ ugly now, am I?”

“No,” Eleanor swore “you’re my daughter, you could never be ugly”

“That’s nice to hear” Alana nodded

“Hey,” a man in a greasy chef’s apron hurried out from the kitchen “hey you, get outta here,” he pointed at Alana “go on, git!”

“For what?!” Alana demanded “what’d I do?”

“You’re scaring my customers away” the chef retorted

“Looking at the food, I don’t think it’s me that’s doing the scaring” Alana fired back. She frowned as a shadow—a very _large_ shadow at that—suddenly fell over them. Blinking, she looked up to see a very large black man now standing over them. From his heavyset build, he looked like he might be an ironworker, or at the very least, he’d be perfect for the job, but his nice suit and tie dispelled that notion.

“There a problem here?” he rumbled out

“This… _freak’s_ going to scare all my customers away” the chef proclaimed

“She’s paying right?” the man asked “so if she’s paying, then that’s more money to you, freak or not”

“I don’t care,” the chef countered “just get her out!”

“Come on,” Eleanor stood up, gently taking Alana’s arm “let’s go”

“No,” Alana pulled her arm away and sat back down “I’m not hurting anyone, why should I be forced out?”

“’Cause you’re a freak! That’s why!” the chief spat “go on, get out of here,” he nodded at the man who’d come to Alana’s rescue “and take your Negro friend with you!”

The black man straightened up, his spine visibly stiffening under his suit. Calmly, he removed his hat held it out to Alana

“Would you hold this for me please?” he requested

“Uh…sure” Alana replied hesitantly as he shrugged off his jacket too, loosening his tie as he rolled up his shirt sleeves

“Mort!” the waitress hissed “don’t you know who that is?” he gestured to the man now angrily approaching the chef “that’s Frank Devon! The boxer!”

The chef, Mort, gasped, cringing as Frank Devon calmly picked him up by his shirt front, easily lifting him off the floor as if he weighed nothing

“All right! All right” Mort yelped “she can stay! She can stay!”

“Smart” Frank Devon set him down

“But she can’t dawdle!” Mort added “she eats, pays, and leaves!”

“Fine,” Alana scoffed “I wouldn’t want to stay here any longer than I have to anyway” she muttered as Frank Devon took his hat and jacket back from her

“Here,” he led Alana and Eleanor over to a table “you can join me”

“Thank you” Eleanor nodded

“So,” Frank began “what the hell happened to your face?” he asked point-blank, his tone somewhere between disgust, honest curiosity, and morbid fascination

“Tried to a light a cigarette with a blowtorch. Why? What happened to yours?” Alana countered.

Frank burst out laughing

“Oh, I like you, girlie” he proclaimed

“Thanks,” Alana smiled “Alana Aoki,” she introduced herself “and this is my mother, Eleanor”

“Charmed,” Frank replied “so, tell me a bit about yourselves” he invited…

******

“That was an…interesting breakfast” Eleanor commented as she and Alana stepped out of the dinner, waving goodbye to Frank as they all went their separate ways

“Yeah, it definitely was” Alana agreed, frowning as Eleanor pulled her stop

“All this time…,” she began “I thought that you died”

“I thought that I did too,” Alana remarked “it’s still me, Mom. You know that right?”

“Of course I do,” Eleanor breathed. She shakily reached out towards Alana’s face “can I…?”

Alana nodded, turning her head to display the scarred right side, allowing Eleanor to gently trace the scars with her fingers

“Does it hurt?” Eleanor wondered

“Not really,” Alana shrugged “it…pulls some times, but…other than that…it feels…‘fine’, I guess”

“How did you…?”

Alana sighed, debating whether to tell her mother about her powers

“I…don’t really know,” she finally answered, which wasn’t a lie, as far as she knew that blast should have killed her, incinerated her, not given her superpowers “there were some…. _other_ …changes,” she continued “but…we can talk about those later” she explained

“Of course,” Eleanor nodded, pulling her daughter close “I’m just glad to have you back” she whispered

“I’m glad to be back, Mom,” Alana whispered, pulling back at a bright blue-white flash in the distance. Stepping away from her mother, she frowned as people began running away from the mysterious flashes

Slowly, she turned back to Eleanor

“Stay here” she instructed…

******

The flashes were coming an old, abandoned building around the corner. The place looked as if it had been condemned years ago; the windows were mostly boarded up, while others were missing, shards of broken dirty glass still clinging to the frame.

Edging around the corner, Alana frowned at the smell in the air, one she remembered from her time in Japan, long before the bomb fell. Ozone. And despite obviously being condemned the lights in the building were on, intermittently flickering in time with the bright flashes of blue-white light.

Frown deepening, she stepped up into the building, the smell was stronger in here and the flashes were brighter, a distinct crackling sound filling the air, charged with static electricity, making her skin tingle and her hair stand on end.

Rounding a corner, Alana paused, trying to puzzle out what she was seeing. A large man had apparently…plugged himself in? No, he was wearing some kind of harness around his torso that he’d plugged right into the electrics of the building, right into the city’s grid itself, while a large sack of money sat by his feet

“Uh, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you’re _not_ with the power company?” Alana called out, a sudden surge of confidence overcoming her.

The man turned, scowling at her, his expression twisting in revulsion as he saw her

“What’s with the face, freak?” he spat

“Who are you calling ‘freak’? You’re the one who’s plugged into the city grid,” she challenged “mind telling why you’re doing that, by the way?”

With a growl, the man unhooked his harness from the socket, errant sparks shooting out briefly as he slowly approached her

“I’m planning on settling an old score,” he rumbled “stay out of my way and you won’t get hurt”

“Yeah…let me think about that…no” Alana shifted her stance, feet apart, shoulders back, arms loose, recalling all the self-defense techniques her father had taught her and her brother. With a quiet growl, the man shook out one arm, a long cable or cord unfurling from his wrist to trail along the floor behind him. the smell of ozone got sharper, sparks dancing along the surface of the cable.

Growling, the man suddenly moved with surprising quickness, the cable whirling through the air to hit Alana in the arm, the force of the blow knocking her back through a half-demolished wall, a painful burning sensation spider-webbing across her body as she hit the floor.

Groaning, she painfully staggered to her feet, throwing out her arms, her hands bursting into flames. The man reared back, surprised and startled

“You really are a freak, aren’t you?” he growled out, just before he lunged, the cable lashing out towards Alana’s head. Throwing up her hands, she tucked and rolled, barely missing the cable as it struck the floorboards, sparks dancing across the floor as the man shook out his other arm, another cable unfurling from his other wrist as Alana rolled and ducked behind a column.

“Why isn’t it working?” she hissed as she stared at her still-flaming hands, the flame should have been stronger, hotter, brighter, hot enough to burn through that cable possibly, so what was she missing? She mentally ran through what she normally did during her training, she concentrated, cleared her mind, and then she’d take a breath…

Take a breath!

“It’s my breathing” she realized. Quickly getting to her feet, she sucked in a deep breath of air, held it as she turned to face the man, and then exhaled, her whole body bursting into a vibrant flame. Throwing out a hand, she sent a crude whip of flame slicing through the air towards the man, catching him in the arm.

Snarling in pain as he clutched his injured arm, the man threw out both cables, wrapping them around two support beams in the ceiling and quickly yanking back, a part of the ceiling caving in. Gasping, Alana extinguished her flame and dove out of the way of the falling debris…

******

“Ow!”

“Oh, hold still you big baby,” Kate Ellis grumbled as she picked the splinter out of Alana’s arm “so,” she began in a casual tone “how’d your reunion with mom go?”

“Not too bad,” Alana answered, grimacing as she rubbed at her arm “she’s still a little shocked ‘cause of…,” she waved a hand in front her face vaguely “… _this_. But…I think we’re going to be good”

“Good to hear,” Kate smiled “now,” she held out a copy of the _Port Havenrock Herald_ “you were asking about the guy with the electric whips?”

“ _‘Costumed criminal ‘Megawatt’ robs bank, three dead’_ ,” Alana read “so this guy’s called ‘megawatt’?”

“He’s a career criminal,” Kate nodded “no one knows who he really is. All we know is that he showed up in Blue Harbor about two years ago, and had a bunch of very public fights with Ultrawoman. Neither one of them came out on top and nobody knows why he’s so obsessed with killing her, but it looks like that’s his MO; he commits a series of very public crimes in order to lure her out and then tries to kill her”

“Uh-huh,” Alana nodded as she scrutinized the newspaper “and who came up the dumb name of ‘Megawatt’?”

“That was me”

“Oh. Sorry”

“Don’t bother,” Kate dismissed “by the way, what do you think of the ‘human torch’?”

“For what?” Alana asked

“For you”

“Wha…?” Alana blinked “oh no! No. No, no, no, _no!_ No way in hell, Kate!” she stood up and waved her hands emphatically “I’m not going to put on some stupid costume and start calling myself…’Doctor Flame’ or, or, or ‘Miss. Fireball’ or something stupid like that! Hey, I didn’t even _want_ these stupid powers anyway!”

“But you have them regardless,” Kate challenged “look,” she sighed “what you have, no matter how you got it, it’s a gift”

“Oh, it’s a ‘gift’ huh?” Alana stepped up to her, turning her head to display the scarred half of her face “take a good look, Kate. This is something, all right, but it’s not a gift, all right? I can’t even walk into a diner and sit down and eat without somebody wanting to throw me out!”

“Whatever happened to _‘I survived, I’m not going to hide how I look’_?” Kate challenged “your words, not mine”

“Yeah, well, that was _before_ some whip-welding nut tried to fry me!” Alana spat, gasping as Kate suddenly _punched_ her hard. She tumbled back, painfully hitting the floor “Christ, lady, you can punch” she coughed out as she slowly rolled over onto her stomach.

“Now you can lay there on that floor all day. Hell, you can lay there all _year_ , for all I care,” Kate growled out “but that ‘whip-welding nut’ is _not_ going to stop. He has and _will_ kill whoever gets in his way. And he’ll start with you”

“Why me?” Alana demanded “what’d I do?”

“You stood up to him,” Kate explained as Alana painfully got to her feet “you survived his first attack, you forced him into a retreat. That makes you a threat to him”

Panting for breath, Alana absently wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand

“So…what do we do?” she finally asked…

******

Meanwhile, as night descended upon the city of Port Havenrock, the man known only as ‘Megawatt’ broke into a small electronics repair shop, hunting through the shelves for something to repair his damaged harness

“Who’s down there?!” a voice demanded from behind him. Turning, Megawatt glowered at the man standing behind him

“You the owner?” he demanded, smirking cruelly as the other man gapped at him, open-mouthed “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” Megawatt thrust out a hand, easily grabbing the other man's arm “you’re coming with me!” he growled…


	6. The Menace of Megawatt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter SIX! Enjoy! :=)

******

**Haven Woods**

“All right,” Kate grunted as she stabbed the scarecrow into the earth “now, whenever you’re caught in a firefight, the number one rule is to limit collateral damage,” she nodded to the last of three scarecrows she’d arranged in a row along the forest floor “now, the guys dressed in blue are civilians and police officers, and ones in red are the bad guys,” she took Alana’s shoulders and urged her back several paces “your job is to hit the ones in red without hitting any of the ones in blue. Got it?”

Alana nodded

“Yeah, got it”

“OK,” Kate stepped back and sat down on a tree stump a fair distance back from Alana. Not that Alana could blame her “and…go!” Kate called out

Taking a breath, Alana drew back and hand threw out a fireball, completely missing one of the scarecrows in red and hitting two of the blue ones

“Oops”

“Remember in real life, there are _no_ do overs!” Kate called out as Alana threw out another fireball, once again hitting one of the blue scarecrows. Scowling, she studied her hands, wondering what she was doing wrong. Frowning, she adjusted her stance and held out her hand, fist clenched, bracing it atop her other arm. Slowly exhaling, she sent out a stream of fire which struck one of the red scarecrows dead on, leaving the surrounding blue ones intact

“Better,” Kate called out “again,” she ordered “wait! Wait!” she suddenly exclaimed as Alana readied another fireball. Turning, she frowned as Kate fiddled with the small transistor radio she’d brought along with them

“Still can’t get over how small that thing is” Alana muttered as the handheld radio whistled and crackled, struggling to get clear signal out here in the woods

“ _…reaking news. The Blue Harbor-based costumed criminal known only as ‘Megawatt’ has struck again in the same week. His latest crime is the kidnapping of local Port Havenrock resident ‘Professor Phineas Hodges’, a former professor from Trinity University. Police have so far refused to speculate on whether or not Professor Hodges is alive or dead, but as of yet, no demands have been made and police continue to search for the missing man_ ”

“Damn,” Kate hissed. She frowned as she turned to Alana “you said that you burned him yesterday, right?”

“Yeah,” Alana nodded “caught him in the arm”

“You must have damaged his harness then,” Kate reasoned “that would be the only reason he’d kidnap someone”

“And the radio said that this guy was a professor,” Alana nodded “Megawatt must think the guy can fix his harness”

“Looks like” Kate nodded…

******

At that very same moment, Phineas Hodges shifted in his bonds, wincing at the tingling sensation still running through his body. He grunted as his captor suddenly grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head back while he held up the harness with his other hand, shoving it towards the Professor’s face

“Do you see what’s wrong?” Megawatt demanded

Professor Hodges gulped nervously, nodding shakily

“Th-the ca-capacitor’s d-damaged,” he stammered out “m-making it so th-that the ch-charge isn’t strong enough”

“Can you _fix_ it?”

Hodges took a shaking breath

“May-maybe” he stammered

“Good,” Megawatt growled out as he leaned “fix it. Or the papers will start printing your obituary…”

******

**Port Havenrock Public Library**

The Port Havenrock Public Library was open six days a week—Monday through Saturday—from nine A.M. to ten P.M. Monday through Friday, and from ten A.M. to nine P.M. on Saturdays, and on most days it was reasonably full, usually filled with students from the nearby by Trinity Collage—not to be confused with the collage in Ireland—as well as anyone seeking information.

Leaning back in her chair, Kate Ellis groaned and rubbed at her eyes as she removed one microfilm reel from the viewer

“Useless” she muttered as she changed reels…

******

The next two hours came and went, and Kate was getting nowhere fast. She’d already looked through every newspaper article from both the _Port Havenrock Herald_ and the _Blue Harbor Tribune_ going back at least ten years but could find nothing about Megawatt. She’d since moved on to other papers across the West Coast, when, finally, she stumbled across something from April 22 1942.

“ _‘Explosion at Boulder Dam, dozens injured or killed. Enemy sabotage is suspected’,_ ” she read as she scrolled through the article “ _‘many lives would have been lost if not the timely intervention of Ultrawoman’,_ ” she scrolled down, finding a list of the dead and a list of those whose bodies had been recovered, grinning at what she found

“Got you”

******

“Well?” Megawatt demanded

“J-just a few minutes more” Professor Hodges stammered

“You’re stalling!”

“No! No, I’m not!” Hodges pleaded, holding up a hand “just give me a few minutes more”

Megawatt glowered and then stepped back…

******

**Port Havenrock Chinatown**

The diner’s patrons all turned as Alana entered. It wasn’t everyday that someone who’d been nearly thrown out came back in. Ignoring the stares, she marched to the counter again, smiling as Frank Devon stood up and held out his hand, which she took and shook without fear

“Hey! Hey!” Mort the chef hurried out from behind the counter “I told you to get out!” he held up a broomstick “go on!” he ordered. When she didn’t move, he hefted the broomstick threateningly “bad enough I have ones like him,” he muttered disgustedly as he nodded at Frank “now I got freaks like you. Get out!”

Alana sighed, not in the mood anymore. In a lightening quick movement, she grabbed the broomstick, yanked it out of Mort’s hands, and set it alight. Mort gasped, jerking his hands back as the broomstick rapidly crumbled to ashes in Alana’s hand, the still-smoldering embers falling to the floor with a muted hiss.

“Neat trick,” Frank commented, looking awed instead of feared “how’d you do that?”

“Trade secret,” Alana replied as Mort staggered away from her. She glanced around, taking note of the fact that several patrons had already fled the diner in a panic and those that hadn’t remained in their seats, frozen in fear. Biting her lip, Alana glanced up at Frank

“You want to get out of here?”

******

**Haven Park**

Haven Park was a large wooded area near Haven Woods, featuring many winding walking paths and benches it was a nice spot for people to have a picnic, especially in the summertime. It was mid-autumn right now, but the weather was cooperating, a nice breeze blew through the trees as Alana settled down on a bench next to Frank, a paper bag of cheap sandwiches between them

“So this happened to you in Japan?” Frank asked in between bites of his sandwich

“Basically,” Alana shrugged “apparently, I’m a…‘Tomorrow Person’, if that means anything to you. At least that’s according to Ultrawoman”

“Are you kidding me?” Frank demanded, his eyes wide “you actually met Ultawoman? In person?”

“Uh, no,” Alana shook her head “no, I haven’t met her, not yet anyway. No, mostly I know her through a friend of hers, uh a ‘Kate Ellis’.”

Frank let out a low impressed whistle

“Damn, Kate Ellis,” he shook his head “you’re really rubbing elbows with the bigwigs, girlie. You don’t know who Kate Ellis is, do you?” Alana shook her head “she’s Ultrawoman’s press agent basically,” Frank explained “she was right there in the shit over in Europe, got all those stories about the war and Ultrawoman out”

“Really?” Alana asked, surprised

“Really,” Frank nodded “I even met them once when I was over there”

“You were a solider?” Alana asked

“Pilot,” Frank smiled as he pulled a worn photograph out of his pocket and held it out to her “Tuskegee Airmen we were called. The first all-colored pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps,” he explained proudly as he pointed to the picture “we used to paint our planes red, made ‘em stand out, so the other pilots started to call us ‘red tails’. The Germans called us the ‘black birdmen’.”

“Incredible,” Alana breathed “you actually flew? I mean they let you in a plane?”

Frank chuckled

“They did indeed,” he nodded “helped with Ultrawoman vouching for us. She even flew escorts with us sometimes,” he shook his head “I remember one time, the Germans came in from above us, up past the clouds, caught us all by surprise. So half of us are just trying to not get shot and the other half are trying to protect the bomber when, out of nowhere, here comes Ultrawoman,” he chuckled “now see, before then, I didn’t really believe all those stories, you know? I mean a woman from _Mars_? Who could fly? And was bulletproof? Had to be made up or exaggerated, right?” he shook his head “but after that day, I believed all right. She just smashed through those fighters like they were paper. No bullets, nothing, she just flew right through ‘em”

“Damn,” Alana breathed “that’s kind of…scary, isn’t it?” she asked “I mean, all that power, what if she decides to turn on us?”

Frank shook his head

“Don’t think so”

“Why?”

He shrugged

“Just do”

“There you are!”

They both turned to see Kate marching up to them

“I had to call your mother,” she sighed as she came over “listen, I think I might have a lead on that you were looking for”

Alana blinked

“Frien—oh! Right!” she nodded “right. Sorry. Uh, Frank, thanks for lunch, but I, uh, got to go”

“Sure,” Frank nodded “don’t worry about it. Why don’t come to the fight tomorrow and see me beat Kowalski’s skinny ass?”

“Sure” Alana laughed as she followed Kate the car

“Hmm, I saw that,” Kate chuckled “you like him don’t you?”

“Who? Frank?” Alana blinked and did a double-take “all right, one that’s crazy, and two, it’s also _illegal_ , all right? He’s colored and I’m—”

“…Japanese,” Kate finished “not white. Plus, no offense honey, but I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a man who’ll marry you looking like that”

“How is that ‘not’ offensive?” Alana demanded

“Look,” Kate sighed “we can talk later, right now I think I might have a lead on who Megawatt actually is,” she opened the car door and let Alana inside before quickly joining her “all right. Back in ’42, there was a explosion at the Hoover Dam, it was never proved but it might have been the Germans, no one really knows,” she opened the file folder sitting on the seat “now, there were dozens on injuries and a fire broke out, workers became trapped by a cave in, fortunately Ultrawoman arrived in time to save most of them but not all of them. Now one of the workers who were listed as dead is this guy,” she opened the folder “Benjamin Vanko, an electrical engineer, which is pretty telling by itself. _But_ , Vanko’s body was never recovered, twenty-eight men died in that fire, but only twenty-seven bodies were pulled out”

“What happened to Vanko’s body?” Alana wondered

“The official story is that his body was either burned to a crisp or possibly even blown out of the dam and fell into the water,” Kate explained “but, this is the most telling detail. His brother was one of the men who died”

“So,” Alana frowned “he survived the explosion, but his brother didn’t, and now he blames Ultrawoman for his brother’s death”

“Looks like,” Kate nodded “I did some more digging, however he built that harness it needs to be recharged”

“Right,” Alana nodded “I saw that”

“So,” Kate pulled out a slip of paper from her bag “I looked up all buildings that were condemned recently and found that there’s one building at this address which is still using power,” she handed the paper to Alana “it’s a good bet that’s where we’ll find our missing professor”

Alana nodded

“Let’s go”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Boulder Dam" is an old name for "Hoover Dam", the date of "April 22 1942" is the date that the Hitchcock film _Saboteur_ was released, the film plays on wartime fears by featuring a plot by enemy agents to blow up the Hoover Dam. The Tuskegee Airmen were a real-life all-black fighter group from World War II and were, most recently, featured in the 2012 film _Red Tails_ produced by George Lucas


	7. Shock Value

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short double update! Chapter SEVEN! Enjoy! :=)

******

The building was old, the other buildings in the neighborhood had all been torn down to make room for new houses. A sign on one patch of ground proclaimed the land to be the future site of the ‘Harmony Falls housing development’, sponsored, in part, by Keystone Motors. Getting out of the car, Alana looked around

“So, what’s the plan?” she wondered

“Split up,” Kate nodded towards the building “you take the left, I’ll take the right”

“All right,” Alana sighed. Entering the building, Alana grimaced at the smell of mold and decay. Sidestepping a rickety-looking floorboard, she quickly lost sight of Kate and wished that they’d brought a pair of walkie-talkies with them, and made a mental note to do just that next time they decided to continue with this insanity.

Rounding a corner, she started at the sight of a man tied to a chair. He jerked back in surprise and obvious fear when he saw her

“Easy,” she held up her hands, trying to appear as nonthreatening as possible “I know I look pretty scary, but trust me, I’m not going to hurt you, I’m here to help you,” she bent down and began untying the ropes “are you Professor Hodges?” she asked as she undid the rope gagging him

“Yes,” he panted out “who are you?”

“I’m…,” Alana faltered, suddenly wondering if she should give her real name to somebody in this situation; the superheroes in the comics always had a secret identity, shouldn’t she as well? “I’m Dr. Atom,” she introduced herself, using the first thing that popped into her head “what happened?”

“He forced me to repair his weaponry,” Professor Hodges panted out as he wriggled against the loosening ropes as Alana began untying his feet and legs “I don’t know where he went”

A sharp crackle was the only warning she had before she suddenly flung across the room and through a weakened wall, plaster and bits of rotten wood littering the floor beneath her. Groaning, she sat up, struggling to get her head clear

“Go!” she yelled towards Professor Hodges as Megawatt—also known as ‘Benjamin Vanko’—approached her “look,” she panted out as she struggled to her feet “we can talk about this. You don’t need to hurt anyone, Ben” she pleaded, only to have to roll out of the way as another electrified cable came smashing down at her

“That man is dead,” Megawatt growled out “Ultrawoman saw to that,” he chuckled as he approached her “I saw what you can do, means you must be like her,” he flung out his arms, the cables crackling again “you’ll make a good test run for my improved harness” he growled, the cables suddenly lashing against Alana’s body, the burning spider-webbing across her skin as memories of the pain and smoke and fire of Hiroshima suddenly surged to the surface.

Writhing in agony, she desperately tried to crawl away, to run and hide from the smoke and the fire. A loud explosion made her look up, seeing a blurring image of a figure in bright blue and long red cape suddenly come crashing through the ceiling and easily grab the two cables without harm and use them to fling Megawatt away.

Panting and moaning in pain, the last thing Alana saw before she passed out were a pair of unnaturally blue eyes staring at her intently…

******

“ _I shouldn’t have made her go in there alone like that_ ”

“ _Kate you couldn’t have known_ ”

“ _That’s not the point!_ ”

The voices were muddled, distant, but becoming clearer, as was the dull ache throbbing through her body. Groaning, Alana weakly opened her eyes to see that she was back in her apartment

“Hey, hey, easy, easy,” she blinked as the blurry image of Kate’s face came into focus over her head “just lie still, how are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Alana groaned “tingly,” she added as she slowly sat up “what happened?” she wondered, her voice sounded hoarse and her throat was dry

“Megawatt got the drop on you” Kate explained

“I remember,” Alana frowned as she struggled to piece together the events leading up to her waking up here “blue,” she recalled “and…a red cape?”

“That was me,”

Alana turned, gapping as Ultrawoman herself stepped forward. The alien woman smiled

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Alana” she said…


	8. The Flames of Inspiration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter EIGHT! Enjoy! :=)

******

For a long moment, Alana sat there stupefied. Ultrawoman was tall; about five foot eight, much taller than Alana herself, who stood at five foot five—more or less equal to Kate. The Martian’s hair was black, curly, and long, reaching down past her shoulders. Her eyes were the most striking however, seeming to shift from a pale—almost white—blue, to a deep dark indigo depending on the light. Aside from that one difference, she looked very Human, and had Alana not known who she truly was, she would have thought that the other woman _was_ Human.

Painfully getting to her feet, Alana assessed the Martian standing before her. The alien was dressed in formfitting suit of what looked like chainmail, made of individual scales of some kind of iridescent blue metal which were linked together seemingly by some kind of magnet, since Alana couldn’t see any obvious reverts or welds. The suit covered Ultrawoman from just under to chin to her feet, leaving only her head and hands exposed, the collar opening in a slight, narrow V at her chin, probably to allow her to breathe easier, in fact the entire suit looked as if it was made from one single piece of material, and Alana wondered how she took it off to go to the bathroom—assuming that she even had to use a bathroom, she was an alien after all.

From the shoulders, hanging by two straps, a long bright crimson cape trailed down to brush against Ultrawoman’s ankles, it seemed to be made from a similar material to the rest of suit, having a slight metallic sheen to it despite its cloth-like flexibility. Seemingly content with letting Alana examine her, Ultrawoman idly moved to a chair and sat down, the suit making no sound as the scales flexed and moved like ordinary cloth.

“You know what,” Kate spoke up suddenly “I’m just going to go, bye” the door opened and closed behind her before Alana even had time to blink

“Hmm,” Ulrawoman murmured “usually I’m the fast one,” she smiled at Alana “sorry, did I use that phrase right? I’m still having trouble with language at times”

“No, yeah, you, you used it right” Alana nodded

“You have questions” the Martian noted

Alana nodded slowly

“Yeah…I’ve got a few”

“Then ask”

“OK…uh, well, first of all…who are you?”

Ultrawoman smiled

“According to your world I’m ‘Ultrawoman’,” she chuckled “but my true name is ‘J’or’Da’an’,” she explained “from the world you know as ‘Mars’.”

“So…how many more are there of you?” Alana wondered, watching as Ultrawoman’s smile vanished instantly, replaced with a dark, hard expression

“I am the last of my people,” she declared in a distant, haunted tone “sole survivor of my world”

“I’m sorry,” Alana murmured “what happened?”

Ultrawoman smirked darkly

“There was a war, and we lost,” she answered “when I came to this world I saw fear, I saw hatred, I saw invading armies kill and torture, all that had destroyed my own world, and vowed to stop it,” she explained. She shook her head “make no mistake Aoki Alana, I am not a ‘hero’, I am a warrior, first and foremost. But if you believe that a ‘hero’ will never kill an innocent, that they will lay down their life for another, then you may consider me a ‘hero’.”

Alana sat back, stunned

“Why me?” she finally asked “I mean, why did I…develop these powers?”

“I don’t know,” Ultrawoman shrugged “perhaps part of a cosmic design? I truly don’t know. But what I do know is that you have great potential—not just you individually—but your species as a whole, the potential to great wonders. You only need a light to show the way”

“And that’s…you?” Alana asked

Ulrawoman burst out laughing

“No. Not I. _You_ , daughter of Eleanor,” she chuckled “you can be that light, that beacon, if you try,” she reached out and took Alana’s hands, cradling them between her own “there is a saying from my world: _‘great leaders are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser leaders to light the flame’_. You can be that leader, Alana, you only have to try”

Alana scoffed

“I don’t really think I’ll be ‘leading’ anybody looking like this” she muttered

“I grant you,” Ultrawoman began “your injuries will make it hard, people _will_ fear and mistrust you, so you must show them that you are not something to be feared, but something to be loved”

“How?” Alana breathed “how do I do that?”

Ultrawoman smiled as she stood up

“You tell me” she chuckled. Then, in a gust of wind and a streak of red light, she was gone…

******

Alana sat there in the dark for how long she didn’t know, thinking over Ultrawoman’s words. Could she really be a leader to people, like the Martian had said? Her? The freak with the scars? An inspiration? It didn’t seem possible.

And…yet…

She thought of that Professor she’d saved earlier, whose safe return had been hailed in the newspapers all day. Professor Phineas Hodges had sung her praises, calling her a ‘hero’, asking to speak with her again, to thank her properly, and giving her a name “Doctor Atom’.

She smirked at the headline of the _Herald_

**KIDNAPPED VICTIM RETURNED HOME SAFE, PRAISES MYSTERIOUS ‘DOCTOR ATOM’ AS SAVIOR’**

Sighing, she reached out and turned the page, frowning at a large advertisement

**REWARD, CASH MONEY FOR FIRST EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF DR. ATOM**

Filing the information away for later, Alana leaned back against the sofa, still lost in thought… 


	9. Of Fire and Color

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter NINE! A bit of downtime before we get back to the action. Trigger warning for mentions of miscarriage

******

**Richards’ Gym**

“…five! Four! Three! Two! One! That’s it! Winner!”

The referee triumphantly held up Frank Devon’s arm as the crowd cheered uproariously, his opponent already being roused—and verbally berated—by his trainer as reigning champion Frank Devon grinned and waved to the crowds.

In the stands, Alana and Kate clapped enthusiastically

“He’s really good” Kate commented, having to raise her voice in order to be heard over the crowd

“He is” Alana agreed as Kate snapped another photo with her worn camera, the camera had accompanied her through the war in Europe and still served her well at home…

******

The crowds had soon dispersed, following the champ to a local watering hole. It was a rather unsavory-looking crowd of mostly blue collar types, the type that, before the war, Alana would have been warned by her mother to avoid. Now she was right there amongst the rabble. Here the people didn’t really care what she looked like, in fact many seemed even awed by her scarred face.

Moving away from the bar, she found the champ himself tucked away in a dim corner

“Hey, girlie, you made it!” Frank grinned

“I made it,” Alana nodded. She pointed towards the bar, where Kate, it seemed, was in the process of drinking several patrons under the table “I brought Kate with me”

“She enjoy the fight?” Frank wondered

“More than I did,” Alana chuckled “sorry,” she felt her face heat up “just not really my thing, boxing that is”

“Well, what is your ‘thing’?” Frank challenged

“Opera” Alana answered honestly with a shrug

“All right,” Frank nodded as he sipped his beer “next time, I’ll take you to the opera, and you can explain it to me, because I don’t understand a lick of it”

Alana laughed

“Next time, huh?”

Frank grinned and shrugged

“Why not?” he chuckled “oh, hey did you see this?” he held up a crumpled copy of the _Herald_ “some chick who can set herself on fire rescued that professor today”

“Oh? Really?” Alana asked, beginning to fidget

“Hey, hey, easy, girlie, relax,” Frank chuckled “I can keep a secret, don’t worry,” he smiled reassuringly at her “but,” he opened the paper and held up the page-sized advert that she’d seen earlier “sounds like a pretty good deal,” he commented “maybe you could get in on this” he suggested

“Me? How?”

“Well,” Frank shrugged “you need cash don’t you?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Alana admitted “Kate’s mostly been paying for my stuff”

“OK,” Frank nodded “and you’re the doc, so…?”

“Wait,” Alana frowned “let me see if I get this right. You’re suggesting that I take pictures of myself as…,” she gestured vaguely “Doctor Atom, and then sell them to the _Herald_ ” 

“Yeah, why not?” Frank shrugged “hey, I’m not saying you cheat anybody. Just…you know...bring a camera with you whenever you go out to beat up some bad guys”

“And how do I take the picture and beat up the bad guys at the same time?”

“Hey, you’re the doc, _Doc_ , you tell me,” Frank grinned as he set his drink down and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He offered her one, which she politely declined, and then began looking for a match “damn it must dropped ‘em somewhere,” he muttered. He frowned and looked Alana up and down “er, you mind…?” he asked hesitantly

In answer she held up a hand, a tiny flame bursting from tip of her index finger. Frank frowned and, gently taking her wrist, turned her hand around, examining it

“That’s just freaky” he commented as he lit up

“Comes in handy” she shrugged as she extinguished the flame, suddenly jumping at a loud crash. Turning, she watched as Kate fended off three men, each of whom were at least twice her size, with frightening ease

“Uh-oh, party’s over” Frank commented

“Looks like” Alana agreed as they waded their way through the crowd towards the young reporter. Grunting, Alana quickly ignited her flame, her whole body instantly becoming wreathed in fire, scattering the crowd

“I got her!” Frank quickly swooped in and grabbed Kate’s arm and pulled her out of the bar, Alana quickly following, her flame slowly extinguishing…

******

**Apartment of Alana Aoki**

“I can’t believe she was still standing with the amount she drank” Alana muttered as Frank set the now-unconscious Kate down the bed

“I know,” Frank exclaimed quietly “she’s such a tiny thing”

“Everyone’s tiny compared to you, Frank”

“True,” he chuckled “you got a phone? I need to call my agent”

“Hmm, downstairs, payphone across the street,” Alana answered “I’ll come with you, I need to make a call too”

******

Exiting the apartment, they quickly made their way to the phone booth, only to find that they were both out of pocket change, they had about five dollars between them but no coins

“Ah-ha,” Alana pointed to the bakery across the street, which was still open “excuse me,” she called out as they entered “do you have change for the phone? We need to make a call”

The man behind the counter—presumably the baker—looked between the two, before leaning in towards Alana almost conspiratorially

“Are you in trouble?” he asked, giving Frank a cautious eye while at the same time nodding towards her scars

“Oh for god’s—no!” Alana exclaimed “look, do you have change for the phone, yes or no?”

“No,” the man answered. He crossed his arms defensively “you’ll have to buy something” he proclaimed

******

“You know,” Alana began “he may be an asshole, but he makes a good pastry” she remarked around bites of her cream filled pastry as Frank hung up. Stepping out of the phone booth, he reached out and tore a piece of the pastry off and popped it into his mouth

“Hmm, that is good” he remarked

“I’d like to set that guy on fire,” Alana muttered, glowing at the bakery “I could do it, you know. It'd be easy, like lighting a cigarette”

“C’mon, girlie,” Frank laughed “you ain’t the type”

“No,” Alana sighed “I’m not”

“You know, that’s probably going to keep happening if we keep sticking together,” Frank began. He gestured vaguely towards her face “people’ll think I hurt you”

Alana scoffed

“I wasn’t exactly ‘pure’ before the scars,” she snorted “that’s part of the reason my parents sent me to Japan,” she explained “had a bit of an…accident, if you get my meaning”

“Oh,” Frank blinked “so…you were…?”

“I was,” Alana nodded, her face grim as she shook her head “it didn’t work out”

“I’m sorry,” Frank apologized “was it…the bomb or…?”

Alana shook her head

“A Japanese soldier punched me in the gut after I tried to stop him from beating a man,” she explained “woke in the hospital a day later. Minus one accident”

“Aw, jeez, girlie” Frank wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close

“Thanks, Frank,” she sniffled “for everything, not just this. For standing up for me back at the diner, and just for…for being a friend”

“Sure thing” Frank chuckled as she looked up at him, suddenly seized by a strange urge. Maybe it was the beer she'd had at the bar, maybe it was some weird aftereffect from her powers, but she suddenly didn’t care what society said or what people would think, and, giving into temptation, she cautiously leaned in and pressed her lips against Frank’s, thankful that they were both sitting down.

To her everlasting relief, Frank didn’t pull away, but he did stiffen in clear surprise

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she pulled away “don’t know what that was”

“ _That_...was nice,” Frank quipped “wouldn’t mind doing it again to tell you the truth”

“Really?” Alana asked, surprised and hopeful and a dozen other emotions all at once “the…,” she gestured to her face “doesn’t bother you?”

“Nah,” Frank drawled “hey, you should see some of the European girls I dated during the war” he chuckled, which earned him a playful punch in the arm from her

“Come on,” she stood up “if we’re going to do this, then let’s get somewhere private before we both get arrested”

“Sure thing, girlie” Frank chuckled…


	10. Freelance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter TEN! Sorry its so short, but that's just how it came out, enjoy regardless :=)

******

**Port Havenrock Herald**

The _Port Havenrock Herald_ was the premier newspaper for the city of Port Havenrock. It had achieved that lofty status largely by virtue of being the _only_ newspaper in Port Havenrock.

Unlike their more prosperous neighbor to the northeast, Port Havenrock was, and had always been, a blue collar city, having been founded on a lucrative shipbuilding industry, most of the city’s residents worked for a living in factories or on assembly lines, that of course wasn’t to say that all of the city’s population toiled away in a factory, but those who had made it to the top of the social ladder often did so through hard work, starting at the very bottom and slowly working their way to the top.

The current editor-in-chief of the _Herald_ was one such man. F. Scott Kennedy—no relation to the Kennedys of Boston—may have, at one point long ago in the distant past—cared about things like ‘journalistic integrity’ but the Depression, the war, and the general harsh realities of life had since beaten such notions out of him. Now, seated in the highest office in the land—relatively speaking—he was determined to remain there, which meant selling papers, which meant competing with the far better publicized _Blue Harbor Tribune_ , which meant finding a story that could beat the _Tribune_.

“All right, let’s see what the _Tribune’s_ got for us today,” he held up a copy of the _Blue Harbor Tribune_ for his staff “ _‘Ultrawoman stops forestfire’_ ,” he read “all right, how ‘bout the _New York Times_ … _‘Mother Mars saves schoolchildren from flash flood’_ ,” some members of the staff began to quietly pray under their breaths as Kennedy reached for the final paper on the desk “and what do _we_ have?” he held up the latest issue of the _Herald_ “ _‘mysterious ‘flaming woman’ seen a bar, is this ‘Dr. Atom’?_ ” he flung the paper across the room in disgust “my god, people! The _Tribune_ has _Ultrawoman_ , the greatest story in the history of America—no, in the history of the _world_ —and we have a ‘flaming woman’?! WILL SOMEBODY CARE TO EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS HAPPENED??!?!?!”

“Chief,” Marcus Roberts, one the top reporters for the _Herald_ sighed “the people at the bar were drunk”

“ _‘The people at the bar were drunk’_ ,” Kennedy mocked “ _of course they were fucking drunk!! It’s a_ bar _, what else do you do at a bar?!?!?_ ”

“Chief,” Kennedy’s receptionist stuck her head in the door “you’ve got a visitor”

“Tell him to come back later”

“It’s a ‘she’, Chief”

“Oh,” Kennedy visibly straightened his tie “everybody else out,” he ordered, a command that the assembled staff were more than happy to obey as they scurried out of the room. Kennedy perked up as a woman did indeed walk into his office, but his expression soured as he saw her “oh. It’s you,” he groaned “what do you want, Ellis?” he demanded as Kate Ellis walked into his officer, looking none the worse for wear after her drinking the night before

“Call it ‘professional courtesy’, Kennedy,” Kate replied “something that you’d know nothing about”

Kennedy scowled as he stuffed another cigar in his mouth and lit it

“What? You just came here to gloat?” he demanded

“No,” Kate shook her head “I’m actually here about your ‘flaming woman’ story”

“Oh no,” Kennedy stood up and reached for the door, opening it and holding it open even as Kate sat down “no you don’t, Ellis. Back off. Your paper’s already half the major stories for the next two decades with Ultrawoman landing there”

“Yes, we do,” Kate smiled and nodded smugly “which is why, I thought I’d help you out with your fire woman story” she held up a file folder

“What’s in there?” Kennedy demanded

“Photographs,” Kate replied as she shook the folder enticingly “clear photographs of ‘Dr. Atom’. Interested?”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing,” Kate sighed “just the knowledge that you won’t have to have your reporters drive an hour out of their way to poach one of my stories”

Kennedy visibly bristled at the implication

“How’d you get these photographs?” he finally demanded

“Freelance photographer,” Kate answered “wants a job, but wants to remain anonymous. You’re slime, Kennedy, but you keep your sources secret and safe”

Kennedy snatched the folder from her

“If these are any good— _if_ —then maybe I’ll hire your photographer,” he warned as he opened the folder “probably a bunch of blurry, out of focus…” he trailed off, his mouth hanging open as he took in the photographs, none of which showed ‘Dr. Atom’s’ face in any clear detail unfortunately, but otherwise showed her in clear detail, proving that, if this ‘doctor atom’ character was a hoax, it had to be one of the most elaborate, expensive, and fantastical hoaxes that Kennedy had ever seen.

Slowly, he looked up at Kate

“Wha, what’s this kid’s name?” he stammered out

“Alana Aoki,” Kate replied. She stood up and held out a card “there’s her address, you can mail the check anytime you want”

With that, she turned on her heel and marched out. Leaving F. Scott Kennedy torn between tears of joy at having finally gotten a story that could trump Ultrawoman, and tears of murderous rage that it was _Kate Ellis_ who’d given it to him…


	11. The Genie is Out of the Bottle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter ELEVEN! Enjoy folks, because we've only got two--that's right, count 'em--TWO more chapters to go before the end! :=)

******

As night fell on the city of Port Havenrock, people filled the streets, most hurrying home after a hard day at work, and some were enjoying a nice autumn evening, the air being just right for a nighttime stroll around the park with your sweetheart. One such couple rounded a corner only to be stopped short by a man with a gun

“Wallets,” he growled out “hand ‘em over!”

“O-O-OK” the man shakily reached into his jacket and drew out his wallet, which was snatched away by the thief

“Hers too!” the thief ordered

“But I don’t have one!” the woman exclaimed fearfully, even as the thief tore her purse off her shoulder

“Hey!”

The thief turned just in time to see Frank Devon’s fist connect with his jaw. Flopping back with a groan, the thief fell against a tree, stunned, but not completely unconscious.

As Frank handed the couple their belongings back, the their shook himself off and, raising the gun, took aim at the back of Frank’s head, only for a flaming hand to suddenly grab the gun and yank it out of his hand, the bullet going into a clod of earth as the gun clattered against the pavement.

Kicking and flailing, the thief gasped as a flaming human suddenly picked him up and slammed him against the tree

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to steal?” the figure demanded as they tossed him away. Now free, he frantically got to his feet and ran down the path. Turning, the flaming figure assessed Frank and the young couple, both of whom were now frantically running away in terror.

Sighing as she extinguished her flame, Alana looked up at Frank, smirking humorlessly

“Light of inspiration, huh?” she remarked

Frank shrugged

"Give 'em time" he suggested…

******

**Apartment of Alana Aoki**

Grumbling as the alarm clock continued ringing; Alana blindly groped around on the nightstand, finally finding, and stopping, the clock. Grumbling, she sat up, wincing at how her scars pulled. Hissing slightly in discomfort, she threw off the covers and tiredly shuffled into the bathroom.

As the shower heated up, she brushed her teeth and washed her face, smirking mirthlessly at how, if she turned to the left, the scars vanished and she was left to stare at the intact half of her face, unblemished, free of scars or any other defects ironically, the mutation having removed the odd mole or dark spot, but if she turned to the right then the scarring became clear.

Shaking herself off, she shrugged off her nightdress and stepped into the shower…

******

Toweling off, she started a pot of coffee percolating while she got dressed. She’d just finished slipping into a pair of blue jeans and a loose shirt when a knock came at the door. Deciding to forgo socks or shoes for the moment, she padded barefoot to the door. Before Hiroshima, she’d worn dresses and jewelry like most of other women, but not, she found that she preferred the simplicity and ease of blue jeans and a shirt.

Opening the door, she found Kate on the other side. The reporter held up a file folder

“It’s done,” she proclaimed “Dr. Atom is officially out of the bottle” she announced as she came inside, Alana absently taking the folder from her and flipping through its contents, at once surprised and a little worried, as she examined each photo which—while not staged _per se_ —had been taken by Kate with the intent to sell them to the _Herald_.

“Are you _sure_ about this?” she finally asked as she looked up at Kate

“It’ll be fine,” Kate assured her “no one can see your face, but its enough to prove that you’re real”

“Uh-huh,” Alana nodded, still skeptical “so…how does this help me?”

Kate sighed as she sat down

“Ever since Ultrawoman showed up in Pearl Harbor during the attack people have become obsessed with the extraordinary, the impossible,” she began “some fear it, other hope for it, and others just want to know. But, the fact remains that people want to know the impossible exists. And you, my dear, are the impossible”

“Great, so I’m a sideshow attraction now. Whoo” Alana muttered darkly

“Sort of,” Kate shrugged “and that’s another thing, your real identity is probably going to come out at some point,” she warned “some sharp-eyed reporter’s probably going to make a connection between the burn victim living in Chinatown and Dr. Atom”

“Great,” Alana groaned “so what do I do? Wear a mask? Maybe add a cape and some blue armor while I’m at it?”

“Easy,” Kate warned “that armor’s all she has left of Mars. No, just…be careful,” she explained “don’t broadcast who you are to people. You don’t have to hide your face, just be discrete. Oh and…try to smile”

“Smile?” Alana echoed

“Makes people feel better if you don’t look so serious” Kate explained

“I’m not ‘serious’, my face is just stuck this way” Alana deadpanned as another knock came at the door. Pouring herself a finished cup of coffee, Alana shuffled over and opened the door, finding Frank on the other side

“Paper,” he held up a copy of the _Herald_ as he came inside, nodding politely to Kate “hot off the presses,” he opened the paper “read it and weep”

“ _‘Doctor Atom: Hero or Menace?’_ ,” Alana read “oh lovely” she drawled

“Damn it,” Kate hissed “I _knew_ that Kennedy was slime, I knew it!”

“Can’t win ‘em all, Kate” Frank shrugged

“Guess not,” Kate grumbled as the lights suddenly flickered on “a little early for that, isn’t it?” Kate remarked

“I didn’t even touch the switch,” Alana explained “how could I when I’m all way over here?”

The three frowned at each other, worry and unease growing, as the bulbs grew brighter, humming and buzzing ominously, before suddenly blowing out, shards of glass falling down to the floor

“Uh-oh” Frank muttered

“Oh yeah,” Alana muttered “that is definitely an ‘uh-oh’…”


	12. The Birth of Doctor Atom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter TWELVE (OK, so I was wrong _now_ its two more chapters to go :=)

******

**Port Havenrock Power Plant**

The Port Havenrock Power Plant was the city’s one singular power plant. Staffed twenty four-seven, the workers there made sure that the lights stayed on. Currently, most of those same staff now lay dead on the ground, their bodies scorched and burned by electrical burns as alarms screamed overhead.

Ignoring both the bodies and the alarms, Benjamin Vanko—now permanently calling himself ‘Megawatt’—finished connecting his harness to the city’s grid. Professor Hodges’ modifications included a stronger capacitor, which meant that the harness could hold a higher charge for longer. It would probably burn out and kill him while he was in the process of killing Ultrawoman, but he was far past caring by this point, he was going to kill the Martian one way or another.

Eyeing the charging harness, he flexed his shoulders, readying himself for the fight…

******

“OK,” Kate hung up the payphone “even the phones are dead,” she announced as she joined Alana and Frank on the corner outside Alana’s apartment “it looks like everything in the city except for the cars are dead”

“Vanko,” Alana realized “he must be draining the city’s power somehow”

“Charging up his harness” Kate realized

“Getting ready to kill Ultrawoman” Frank nodded

“Or me,” Alana noted “but where would he do it?” she wondered as she looked around “wait, where are we?”

“Chinatown” Kate answered

“No, no, I know _that_. I mean where _exactly_ in Chinatown?”

“East of Pike Street” Frank answered

“So…,” Alana looked around “Vanko probably wants somewhere public, somewhere with a lot of people. He wants to be seen”

“A stage,” Frank nodded “like a fighter in the ring”

“Right,” Kate nodded along “but where?”

“You’ve dealt with this guy before,” Frank reminded her “you tell us”

“Yeah, but I don’t live here,” Kate retorted “no offense, but if it weren’t for Alana, I wouldn’t be caught dead in Port Havenrock” she scoffed

“No offense?” Frank echoed incredulously

“She does that,” Alana nodded “just ignore it,” she grinned suddenly, snapping her fingers “Haven Plaza” she breathed

“That’s right in the center of town,” Frank nodded “city hall, police headquarters, fire department, the _Herald_ ”

“Everybody to see him,” Kate nodded “a perfect stage”

“Let’s go” Frank nodded

“You two go on ahead,” Alana nodded “I need to do something first”

“Come on, don’t chicken out on us now” Kate groaned

“I’m not,” Alana assured her “but there’s something I need to do first,”

Sparing each other a worried glance, both Frank and Kate nodded, quickly hopping to Kate’s car, Kate performing at least two illegal maneuvers at once as they sped off. Now alone on the street corner, Alana took a breath and reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded square of paper. Unfolding it, she held up a small, silver triangle tucked neatly inside. On the paper itself was some writing

_If you ever need me, hold the disc in your hand and speak my name_

Taking a breath, Alana cupped the small metal triangle in her hands

“ _J’or’Da’an_ ” she breathed, starting when the triangle began glowing, humming with a shimmering white light as it rang out with a clear, musical tone…

******

**Haven Plaza**

Jumping out of her Kate took off down the block at a quick sprint

“Hey! You can’t park here!” a police officer called out after her

“Press!” Frank called out as he chased after Kate “damn it, Ellis! Slow down!” he called out as he nearly collided with her as she suddenly skidded to a stop “uh-oh” Frank muttered as he and Kate struggled to take in the sight before them. Sparks of electricity were now shooting from the top of the thirty foot tall letters making up the logo of the _Port Havenrock Herald_ atop the roof of newspaper’s main office building, the letters now blinking and flashing erratically as sparks shot wildly from the sign to litter the street below

“Folks, get off the streets!” a police officer yelled as he tried to urge the gapping crowd back “I need everyone off the streets” he called as another explosion of sparks shot out from the sign before everything went eerily silent

“He’s here” Kate hissed as a figure suddenly dropped down the twenty-two stories to the ground…

******

“You’re looking rather pensive”

Alana turned at the voice, sighing in relief as Ultrawoman appeared behind her, softly landing on the rooftop of Alana’s building with a quiet ease and grace.

“Thank god,” Alana muttered as she approached the Martian “look—”

“I know what you want,” the Martian held up a hand “and I cannot help you

“What?!” Alana demanded “why the hell not?!”

“Because it is no longer my fight,” the Martian explained patiently “it is yours and yours alone….Doctor Atom”

“Look, the last two times I went up against this guy I nearly died!”

“Yes, you did,” the Martian noted “but, you also ‘nearly died’ in Hiroshima, did you not?” she smirked at Alana “as I said to you before, I am not a hero; I am a warrior, an honorable one perhaps, but still a warrior. But you…you can be the hero that this city, this world, needs,” she reached out, placing both her hands on Alana’s shoulders “ _‘I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug’_ ” she recited

“That’s…part of the Hippocratic Oath” Alana nodded

“Yes,” Ultrawoman nodded “on Mars I was a healer, what you might call a doctor as well as a warrior,” she explained “now it is time for you to be a healer as well, Alana Aoki”

Taking a breath as Ultrawoman stepped back, Alana ignited her flame, then, turning towards the roof’s edge, she jumped off, suddenly rocketing forward like a shot…

******

“Hello!” Megawatt called out as he straightened up from his landing, his harness crackling and sputtering with electricity, having most likely having cushioned his fall, as he shook out his wrists, the harness’ deadly cables unfurling to trail on the ground behind him as he slowly approached the frightened crowd “I’m only going to ask this once: _where….is…Ultrawoman_?!?!?!”

“Hey! Sparky!”

A flaming figure suddenly landed in between him and crowd, the flame quickly dying down as they straightened up

“Ultrawoman’s a bit busy,” Alana quipped “looks like you’ll just have to settle for me”

With a growl, Megawatt flung out both of the cables at the same time Alana threw out two fireballs as they both charged each other…


	13. Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter THIRTEEN! Enjoy folks :=)

******

Alana grunted as she dodged Megawatt’s next blow, the electrified cables sputtering and crackling as they whistled through the air. Jumping back, Alana dove behind a car, yelping in surprised as the cables cleanly sliced right through the car as if it were tissue paper, a piece of the debris hitting her in the head, momentarily stunning her.

“You’re not Ultrawoman,” Megawatt scoffed as he loomed over her “you’re just an appetizer” he growled as a familiar scent suddenly reached Alana’s nose: gasoline, the cables must have severed the fuel line—if not the entire gas tank—when they cut through the car she realized. Lying still, she let Vanko approach her, playing possum as he swung one cable down…

Right into a puddle of gasoline.

The resulting explosion sent him flying back at least four feet and obscured Alana’s form. Staggering to his feet, Vanko watched in a mixture of awe and rage as Alana emerged from the flames unscathed

“I’m fireproof. You’re not” she quipped as she shifted into a fighting stance, bracing herself as Megawatt marched towards her

“Hey, Vanko!”

Megawatt stopped, turning and frowning as Kate pushed through the crowd

“You know who I am? I’m Kate Ellis,” she introduced herself “I’m the closest thing Ultrawoman has to family. You want to hurt her? Killing me will do that”

With a quiet growl, Megawatt turned to face her fully, only to be jerked back as a fiery whip suddenly lassoed around his midsection and he was pulled back off his feet, before Alana—with great difficulty—swung him up and around. Extinguishing the whip, she marched towards him, only to be caught off guard as he swung out one of his cables, the blow combined with more powerful charge, actually knocked Alana off her feet, sending her careening wildly through the air to land hard in a nearby fountain.

Spluttering, she surfaced; coughing for air, gasping as Megawatt suddenly loomed over her, his hands suddenly around her throat as he forced her back under the water. The fountain wasn’t that deep, but more than deep enough for someone to drown if held under for long enough

“Can’t start a fire if you’re all wet, can you!” Megawatt laughed above her as Alana kicked and flailed for air. Her lungs were burning; her chest felt tight, her vision was dimming. He was right; you couldn’t start a fire underwater. This was it, the end

Unless…

Grabbing each of Vanko’s hands in her own, Alana pulled him down, Vanko stumbling forward up to his elbows in the water as the water suddenly started frothing and bubbling, a reddish-orange glow suddenly emanating from Alana’s body as her body temperature increased rapidly, the water heating up as well, reaching its boiling point in a matter of seconds.

Screaming in agony, Vanko let go, staggering back clutching his now-horribly blistered hands as the water in the fountain flash-boiled into a billowing cloud of superheated steam in a second.

Coughing, Alana sat up gasping for air as steam curled off her body. Shakily getting to her feet, she shook herself loose as Megawatt—despite the clear pain he was in—flung out both of his cables at her.

Sidestepping, Alana threw out a hand, a brilliant stream of fire suddenly lashing out from her palm at the flailing cables, the intense heat easily melting them both into molten slag

“No,” Megawatt growled as he watched the now-severed and mangled cables fall limply to the ground “ _NO!_ ” with an almost primal yell, he suddenly charged for her. Only to be knocked back with a pained yelp as she lobbed a fireball right at his face, knocking him flat on his back, where he lay, groaning weakly, defeated as the crowd cheered

“Let’s hear for Doctor Atom!” Frank called out as the crowd began to applaud. Smirking, Alana spotted Kate amongst the rabble, the reporter giving her a thumbs up as she ignited her flame and took off, shooting up into the sky…


	14. The Age of Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are folks, the final chapter of "The Rise of Doctor Atom", I want to thank everyone who left kudos and comments, and I hope you'll enjoy the next part of the series. Now then, please enjoy :=)

******

**Blue Harbor Tribune  
Blue Harbor, Washington**

“So,” Kate began as she stepped out onto the roof of the _Tribune_ “you knew that she could defeat Megawatt all the time, didn’t you?”

“She just needed a push” J’or’Da’an replied as she turned to face the young reporter

“Some push,” Kate muttered with a shake of her head “listen,” she began “not that it isn’t fun to write stories about you and win Pulitzer Prizes for them, but…I’d like to stay in Port Havenrock for a while. Just to keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid”

“Of course,” J’or’Da’an smirked “we are not bound to one another, Kate,” she chuckled “and besides, I could think of no one better to led her down the path of righteousness”

“Ah, jeez, now you’re making me blush here” Kate grumbled, giving the Martian a playful punch in the arm

“I’m not joking, Kate,” J’or’Da’an shook her head “you have great sprit and are pure of heart. If anyone can keep her grounded, it is you,” she vowed “after all, you saved me when I first came here,” she reminded the young woman “you helped me, more so than your parents, guided me, taught me about your world and your ways, taught your people that I am not a threat. You did all that, Kate. And you can do the same for her”

Kate smirked

“No pressure” she muttered…

******

“ _Continuing our top story. Yesterday, the mysterious ‘Doctor Atom’ defeated the costumed criminal known as ‘Megawatt’ in a spectacular display yesterday, incurring hundreds or thousands of dollars in damages to city property. Although public support of the fiery fury is rapidly swinging favor, it remains to be seen whether or not she is here to help us or harm us. Already, F. Scott Kennedy, editor and chief of the Port Havenrock Herald, has published several articles denouncing the mysterious doctor, decrying her as a threat_ ”

Scowling, Professor Phineas Hodges turned off the radio

“Idiots” he muttered, looking up as the bell above the door rang

“Hello?” a familiar figure suddenly rounded the corner, and Phineas felt his heart stop

“It’s you” he breathed as Dr. Atom herself walked in

“Uh, yeah,” Alana shrugged “it’s me,” she fidgeted for a second “I’m sorry, let’s start over, I’m Alana, Alana Aoki”

“Phineas Hodges,” Phineas replied, shaking her hand “so, uh, ahem, what brings you by?” he asked

“Heard you wanted to meet me in person,” Alana shrugged “also, I hear that you’re a professor”

“That’s right,” he nodded “what I can help you with?”

“Understanding how I do what I do” Alana replied

“But of course,” Phineas exclaimed “certainly, happy to be of service!”

Alana felt herself smile…

******

**Port Havenrock Chinatown**

The diner’s patrons all looked up as Alana and Frank entered

“Here we go again” Frank muttered as they made their way to a booth and sat down, the rest of the diner’s patrons quickly resuming their conversations as a waitress came over to their table

“Uh, we didn’t order anything yet” Alana pointed out as two large plates were placed down in front of

“Complements of the chef,” the waitress explained “you’re a hero, honey” she laughed.

Alana and Frank looked between each other and then at Mort the chef, who gave them both a rather timid smile and wave

“Unbelievable” Alana muttered in disbelief

“Still, you _did_ save the city,” Frank pointed out “and defeated somebody that not even Ultrawoman could stop. I’d say that earns you a free lunch”

“From somebody like _him_?” Alana demanded incredulously

“Hey, I didn’t say that it was going to be a ‘perfect’ lunch,” Frank shrugged “just free”

“Hey,”

They both looked up as Kate came over, brandishing a copy of the _Herald_

“Did you two see this?” she asked as she dropped it on the table

“ _‘Fiery Fury Causes Untold Property Damage’_?” Alana read “unfortunately, yes”

“Hey, can’t win ‘em all, girlie” Frank reminded her

“No,” Kate agreed “but we can damn well try” she proclaimed as the wail of police sirens broke the air

"Looks like that's your cue" Frank chuckled

Alana smirked

"Looks like" she agreed as she got up and stepped out of the diner. Taking a breath, she burst into flames and shot into the sky, following the sound of the sirens.... 

******

**The Citadel, Mount Lane  
Blue Harbor, Washington**

J’or’Da’an entered the Citadel with a purpose

“ _Greetings, Warmaster_ ” a tinny, feminine voice greeted as a metal sphere floated over towards her, orbiting her head like a cartoon bird

“Hello, Tau” J’or’Da’an replied

“ _How may I be of service?_ ” it inquired

“Show me the list of potential Tomorrow People”

“ _Compliance_ ” half of the sphere instantly rippled like water, its surface flattening to display a list of Martian characters

“List ‘Alana Aoki’ as ‘positive’.” J’or’Da’an instructed

“ _Compliance_ ”

Smiling, J’or’Da’an turned and walked out of the Citadel. Earth was in the midst of a new age, an age of heroes, and she and Alana Aoki were the ones who were going to usher it in…

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! The end of "The Rise of Doctor Atom", I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as I enjoyed writing it. Stay tuned for the next part of the series as well as an update to "The Age of Heroes"
> 
> \--AXEe :=)

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought :=)


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